Program

At When Words Collide you will find presentations, discussions,
readings, and signings by each year's festivals guests and additional
attending experts in the literary arena: authors, editors, artists,
poets, playwrights, and others involved in creating the written
word.

The program for the When Words Collide 2013 is in the final stages of
completion.

Here is our Complete program
description in chronological order (to be included in our festival
program book along with the presenter notes below).

Printed copies of the Program Book and Quick Reference Guide will
be available at the Festival Registration Counter, which opens at 12
PM on Friday August 9th. Sign-up sheets for Kaffee Klatches,
Workshops, Pitch Sessions, and Blue Pencil café are also available
near the Registration Counter starting at noon Friday.

Merchants Corner and Registration Hours

Friday 12 PM - 8 PM
Saturday 9 AM - 5:30 PM
Sunday 9 AM - 4:30 PM

Confirmed Presenters / Panelists

Angela AckermanAngela Ackerman writes on the dark
side of Middle Grade and Young Adult, and is represented by Jill
Corcoran of The Herman Agency. She is also the co-author of The
Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression and
blogs at the award winning resource, The Bookshelf
Muse. When she isn't creating new writing tools or plotting
mayhem, she's carefully deleting her browser history and pretending to
live the life of a normal, quiet Canadian.

Karen BassAfter managing the local library for 16
years, Karen Bass hung up her date stamp and began writing
full-time. Her first three YA novels have won several awards including
the 2009 Exporting Alberta, two IPPYs and a Moonbeam Children’s
award. Her fourth YA novel, Graffiti Knight, is forthcoming in
August. Three of her novels deal with aspects of World War Two and she
likes to say that they are “suitable for adult reading.” www.karenbass.ca

Jessica BayJessica Bay is an MA student in English
at the University of Lethbridge. She has previously completed an MA
thesis in Popular Culture entitled The New Blockbuster Film Sequel:
Changing Cultural and Economic Conditions Within the Film
Industry. Her current research examines a connection between fanfic
and self-publication of e-books in the urban fantasy genre.

Helaine BeckerHelaine Becker is the bestselling writer of more than 50 children’s books: YA fiction, non-fiction, picture books, and verse. Her chapter book series, The Looney Bay All-Stars, has sold over 185,000 copies to date; A Porcupine in a Pine Tree was the #1 Canadian National Bestseller and received the Libris Picture Book of the Year Award from the C.B.A. She also is a three-time winner of the Silver Birch Award: for Boredom Blasters in 2006, and Secret Agent Y.O.U. in 2008; What's the Big Idea? received the Silver Birch Honour Award in 2011. The Insecto-Files was awarded the first ever Lane Anderson Award for Science Writing for Children. The Big Green Book of the Big Blue Sea won the Outstanding Youth Book Award from the CSWA.
Helaine also writes for children’s television. She creates Dr. Greenie’s Mad lab for APTN and web. The show was a Youth Jury Finalist at the MIP Junior conference in Cannes and is going into its fourth season of production this year.
Helaine is in high demand as a presenter and performer at schools across North America. She has been on the executive board of CANSCAIP (the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors and Illustrators), and is a member of the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, TWUC, CSWA and SCBWI. She is married with two teenage sons and has the cutest dog in the world, Ella. She is also a runner, a loud laugher, and a certified KABOOM!!!! pyrotechnician.
Helaine volunteers regularly for literacy causes and is actively involved in presentations and projects in association with the CNIB, ABC Literacy Canada, First Book Canada, and Librarians without Borders.www.helainebecker.comwww.helainebecker.blogspot.comwww.sci-why.blogspot.comwww.twitter.com/helainebecker

Samantha BeikoSamantha Beiko has worked in the
Canadian publishing industry for the past three years in marketing and
publicity, as well as editorial and layout design. She is currently
the Managing Editor and Layout Designer for the award-winning
Toronto-based publisher, ChiZine Publications. Samantha is also an
emerging author, and her first book, a YA fantasy novel called The
Lake and the Library, was released in 2013 with ECW Press. She
currently resides in Winnipeg, Manitoba, and is working to broaden the
speculative fiction community there through her writing and publishing
work.

Eileen BellEileen Bell has written most of her life
(usually as an antidote to whatever day job she had) and has had short
fiction published in several anthologies, including the double Aurora
Award winning "Women of the Apocalypse" and the Aurora winning
"Bourbon and Eggnog." When she's not writing or editing or
thinking about writing, she's living a fine life in her round house
(even if it is in a perpetual state of renovation) with her husband
and her two dogs, Buddy and Millie.

Renee BennettRenee Bennett co-edited the
Shanghai Steam anthology, and she administers the Robyn
Herrington Memorial Short Story Contest. She is a five-time nominee
for Canada’s Aurora Awards for editing, in both the professional and
amateur categories. Her own work has appeared in Realms of
Fantasy, on CBC Radio, and in Year’s Best Fantasy. Of it,
she says, "I write anything I damn well please. Don't you?".

Janice BlaineJanice Blaine is a professional
commercial artist working out of Calgary. Throughout her career, she
has worked on a wide variety of projects, ranging from pre-production
animation to design & illustration of children’s books. Her
illustrations have appeared on the covers of numerous magazines and
books. Her cover illustration for Neo-opsis issue #20 was nominated
for an Aurora Award in 2012, and she is co-editor and illustrator of
the Urban Green Man short fiction anthology. She currently
works as the Production Manager at EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy
Publishing. She also does freelance illustration and design work. Her
portfolio may be viewed at www.paintersblock.com

Roxy BoroughsBefore turning her attentions to
writing, Roxy tread the boards as a performer, appearing in theatres
across North America, TV commercials, and movies. In addition to
writing interactive murder-mysteries for Pegasus Performances, her
award-winning novel A STRANGER'S TOUCH, as well as its sequel,
A STRANGER'S KISS, is now available through Amazon.com. Watch
for her upcoming release, the edgy urban fantasy, WOLFEN TIME.
"Roxy Boroughs has it all - humor, suspense, and the kind of raw
emotion that makes romantic suspense worth reading. This genre has a
bright new star." Lecia Cornwall author of Secrets of A Proper
Countess, an RT Reviewers Choice nominee.

Anna Maria BortolottoAnna Maria Bortolotto calls
Calgary, Alberta home. As a writer of speculative fiction, she has won
and placed in the Robyn Herrington Memorial Short Story Contest in
past years. Anna has recently returned to Calgary as a graduate of the
2013 Odyssey Writers Workshop, which is an intensive 6 week workshop
for writers of science fiction, fantasy, and horror, run by former
senior editor at Bantam Doubleday Dell and author Jeanne Cavelos each
summer in Manchester, New Hampshire. Anna is also a long-time member
of IFWA, related writing groups, and attendee at When Words Collide
and its predecessors. Anna can be found at www.amb-creations.com.

E.R. BrownE.R. Brown worked as a stagehand,
recording engineer, computer programmer, technical writer and
chandelier cleaner before settling down and writing for a
living. After over fifteen years as a copywriter for advertising,
marketing and corporate communications, he turned to fiction. His work
has appeared in literary magazines and on CBC Radio. His first novel,
Almost Criminal, will be available in the spring of 2013. Born in
Montreal, he now lives in Vancouver.

Graeme BrownGraeme Brown is a Winnipeg writer,
artist and student of mathematics. As a long-time fan of epic fantasy
who suffers from an overactive imagination, he has been writing
stories for more than twenty years. He also enjoys running, yoga, and
playing classical piano. His first title, a short story called The
Pact, was released this May, and he is putting the finishing touches
on his next one, A Thousand Roads. For more information, visit Graeme
at www.graemebrownart.com or
follow him on Twitter: @GraemeBrownWpg

Anne BurkeAnne Burke is a Full Member of the League
of Canadian Poets and was President of the Writers Guild of Alberta.
She received the Alberta Centennial Medal. in addition to the Queen
Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Award and Diamond Jubilee Award for her
contributions to Canada. She edits The Prairie Journal of Canadian
Literature which she founded and is Series Editor of The Living
Archives Series. She co-founded Alberta Magazine Publishers
Association (where she represented arts,literary, and cultural
magazines) and is a member of the Cultural Magazines Committee for
Magazines Canada.

Susan CalderSusan Calder is the author of Deadly
Fall (Touchwood Editions, 2011), a murder mystery novel set in
Calgary. She is currently working on two new novels and has published
short stories, travel articles and poems. Susan teaches novel and
short story courses at the Alexandra Writers Centre Society and blogs
when the mood strikes. This summer, she's inspired to blog about her
recent trip to Austria and the Czech Republic. Read more at
www.susancalder.com.

Jeff R. CampbellJeff R. Campbell is a the co-editor
of the Gaslight anthologies (Gaslight Grimoire, Gaslight Grotesque &
Gaslight Arcanum) and has a number of short stories and radio dramas
published. His next project is the Professor Challenger: New Worlds,
Lost Places anthology co-edited with Charles Prepolec.

Melodie CampbellMelodie Campbell achieved a personal best this year when Library Digest compared her to Janet Evanovich.

Melodie got her start writing comedy (stand-up and columns.) In 1999, she opened the Canadian Humour Conference. She has over 200 publications including 100 comedy credits, 40 short stories and 4 novels. Her fifth novel, a mob caper entitled The Goddaughter's Revenge (Orca Books), will be released Oct. 1. She has won 6 awards for fiction, and was a finalist for both the 2012 Derringer and Arthur Ellis Awards.

Melodie is the Executive Director of Crime Writers of Canada. Her humour column Bad Girl appears in The Sage.

Vanessa CarduiVanessa Cardui is a lifelong poet and
songwriter, as well as a performer, recording artist, and
producer. She has been active in the Calgary music scene since 2004
and has contributed to a number of local projects. Vanessa's own
original rock band, Heroincredible, has performed to great acclaim at
several well-attended science-fiction and fantasy conventions,
including the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo in 2011.
Vanessa has written hundreds of songs in a variety of genres,
including rock, folk, filk, and choral music, and has a special love
of historical and mythological subject matter.http://vanessacardui.ca/http://www.facebook.com/VanessaCarduiArtist?ref=ts#!/VanessaCarduiArtist?sk=info

Suzanne ChurchAurora Award winning author Suzanne
Church lives in Ontario. She writes Science Fiction, Fantasy, and
Horror because she enjoys them all and hates to play favorites. Her
short stories have appeared in Clarkesworld and Cicada, and in several
anthologies including Danse Macabre: Close Encounters with the
Reaper.

Dwayne ClaydenDwayne Clayden is Paramedic with over
30 years in Emergency Services. A former police officer, Tactical
Paramedic, and EMS Chief, Dwayne has been involved in the training of
paramedics and tactical paramedics and an international conference
speaker for more than 20 years. Dwayne has published four textbooks
for paramedics. Dwayne is an Action/Thriller writer of police
procedurals. Blood and Guts is a follow –up to his When Words Collide
presentation last year "Drugs as a Murder Weapon".

Leah CrichtonLeah Crichton is a wife, mother of
three and YA/new adult author currently residing in Calgary, AB. Her
day job is in the very technical world of GIS so when the sun sets,
she welcomes the voices in her head and often writes down what they
have to say. Sometimes, when she's lucky, they turn into decent
stories. She has penned several novels and worked with Sony Music
Canada in writing the official fan fiction for the British boy band,
One Direction. Her compiled works have attracted over 3.5 million
reads on Wattpad and counting. http://www.leah-crichton.com/

Aspen deLaineyAspen lives in the Foothills of Alberta
with her husband, two of her four children, a dog, a lovebird and a
glaring of semi-feral cats.

One of Aspen’s earliest memories is writing a story for her little
brother in crayon on a favored picture book and earning a spanking as
her first critical review. Never deterred, Aspen continued to make up
stories, and hone her craft, until finally letting a few escape her
clutches in 2010.

Love ‘n Lies is Aspen’s first work in The Evermore
Chronicles, the concept for which was developed while she was
employed in the seniors’ medical field. Do paranormal beings also
suffer from medical problems? What happens to aging Vampires,
Wizards, Trolls and the like?

Craig DiLouieCraig DiLouie is the author of the
bestselling zombie novels TOOTH AND NAIL, THE INFECTION
and THE KILLING FLOOR. Craig blogs about his fiction and all
things apocalyptic horror at www.craigdilouie.com.

Dave Duncan
Dave Duncan is a prolific writer of Fantasy and SF, and was for many
years a resident of Calgary. (He now lives in Victoria.) His next
book, King of Swords, will be published in September, but if all
goes well some copies will be available in the dealers' room!

Claire EamerClaire Eamer is an award-winning
Canadian children’s author. She likes science, history, travel,
dragons, pirates, and magic frogs, among other things. She also likes
writing about them – but not all in the same place. At least, not
yet. Claire makes her living mainly as a science writer for audiences
that range from large science-based international agencies to
eight-year-olds. The eight-year-olds are generally more fun. She also
writes science fiction and fantasy for middle grade and YA
readers. Claire’s latest book, due out from Annick Press in 2013, is
Before the World Was Ready: Stories of Daring Genius in Science.

Kim FirmstonKim Firmston is a real life mutant -
though one without any cool powers. Kim has written and produced many
plays, and published four YA novels - Schizo, Hook Up,
Touch, and Boiled Cat. When she is not writing or cursing
obvious villain mistakes, she warps young minds in her youth writing
classes and at her Calgary based Reality is Optional Kid's Writing
Club. Kim encourages play, be it in her classes or on her interactive
websites that often sport DO NOT PUSH buttons.http://www.kimfirmston.com/http://www.boiledcat.com/http://www.realityisoptional.weebly.com/

Sandra FitzpatrickSandra Fitzpatrick has been
helping artists, writers, actors and other creative people with their
taxes since 2006. Many have not known the deductions available as
self-employed people and she does several seminars each year to bring this
information and more on the basics of financial planning to them. She
has been writing fantasy and science fiction for over ten years and is
a long time member of IFWA.

Susan ForestTwo-time Prix Aurora Award nominee, and
winner of The Galaxy Project, juried by Robert Silverberg,
David Drake and Barry Malzberg, Susan Forest is a writer of science
fiction, fantasy and horror, and fiction editor for Edge Press. You
can find her works in Asimov's Science Fiction, Analog
Science Fiction and Fact, Beneath Ceaseless Skies,
Tesseracts, AE Science Fiction Review, OnSpec and
the Urban Green Man or in her collection, Immunity to
Strange Tales (Five Rivers Press). You can check out her website
at www.speculative-fiction.ca.

Cecelia FreyCecelia Frey has worked as an editor,
teacher, and freelance writer and has for many years been involved in
the Calgary literary community. Her work has been published in dozens
of literary journals and anthologies as well as being broadcast on CBC
Radio and performed on the Women’s Television Network. As well as five
volumes of poetry she has published novels and collections of short
fiction. Her latest book of poetry, Under Nose Hill, documents
the importance of landscape and space as it affects human growth and
development.

Ron S. FriedmanRon S. Friedman's stories have
appeared in Daily Science Fiction, Not Just Rockets And
Robots, Age Of Certainty, and have received Honourable
Mentions in the Writers of the Future Contest.
Ron is on the CSFFA board of directors, WWC committee, and he is an
active IFWA member. Ron had been nominated for the 2013 Aurora Awards
- Fan Related category.
Ron participated as a panelist at When Words Collide, Con-version and
Calgary Comic Expo. He is currently working on his second novel.

Barb Galler-SmithBarb Galler-Smith resides in
Edmonton, Alberta where she's a Fiction Editor with On Spec
Magazine. She's co-authored an historical fantasy trilogy with US
author Josh Langston: DRUIDS (released in 2009 and nominated for the
2010 Prix Aurora Award for Best Novel in English), and CAPTIVES
released in 2011. The third book, WARRIORS, is scheduled for release
in August 2013 (EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing).

Jacqueline GuestInternational award winning author
of seventeen novels, Jacqueline Guest has stood on an iceberg, flown a
kite in a hurricane and worn bedroom slippers in Parliament all in the
name of research. Topics for her fast paced books range from deadly
video games to helpful ghosts and everything in between!

Brian HadesBrian Hades started his professional
life at the age of seven -- as a magician. Brian is now the head of
EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, Canada's largest genre
book publisher.
As head of EDGE, Hades is leading the Canadian campaign to add
respectability to the often ghettoized genres of fantasy, science
fiction, and horror. A quick glance of his releases this year--which
include titles under Hades' three imprints: EDGE Science Fiction and
Fantasy Publishing, Tesseract Books and Absolute XPress--shows that
its international roster of authors tackles a wide variety of
speculative fiction concerns.

Peter HalaszPeter is an unregenerate book
addict. He reads them, talks about them, collects them and
occasionally even writes about them. The only thing he does not do is
write them. Oh, and he's one of the founders and one of the
administrators of the Sunburst Award for Excellence in Canadian
Literature of the Fantastic. He is chuffed to have been the only
non-academic, non-writer invited to participate at the Commonwealth of
Science Fiction conference held at the University of Liverpool in
2004.

Vivian HansenVivian Hansen was born June 29, 1957 to Danish immigrants. Her nonfiction and poetry have encountered women's issues, the western landscape, work and immigration. She is the co-founder of the Calgary Women's Writing Projectc. She has taught poetry and life writing with the Alexandra Writers' Centre in Calgary. She facilitates workshops in poetry and life writing for the aged and disabled.

Richard HarrisonAuthor of 6 books of poetry,
co-author of Secret Identity Reader, essays on superheroes, and
the co-editor of the essay collection Now is the Winter: Thinking
About Hockey, Richard Harrison is a citizen of three literary
worlds -- or rather of the literary lands that cross the boundaries of
pop culture and high art, of creativity and criticism. Richard teaches
English and Creative Writing at Mount Royal University, and has spoken
at the San Diego Comic-Con as well as the Hockey Hall of Fame and
Calgary's WordFest. This is his third visit to When Words Collide.

Amber HaywardAmber Hayward's Children of the
Panther SF trilogy of novels was complete with the publication of
'Stolen Children,' released by Edge Press in September 2011. She has
had many short stories and poems included in various magazines and
anthologies. Amber's non-writing wage-earning alternate life sees her
as owner-manager of the Black Cat Guest Ranch near Jasper,
Alberta. From May 1, 2011 - April 30, 2012, Amber wrote a short short
story every day and posted it on her website, www.amberhayward.ca.

Ron HoreRon reviews genre novels and anthologies
for an on-line magazine, and recently co-authored Rotary Club of
Winnipeg- 100 Years of Service.
Writing as R.J.Hore, a medieval fantasy-style novel The Dark
Lady was published February 2012, a novella, Knight’s
Bridge, March 2013 and a second fantasy novel, The Queen’s
Pawn, April 2013. Housetrap, first in a series of fantasy
detective novellas arrived December 2012 followed by: Dial M for
Mudder July 2013, House on Hollow Hill September 2013, and
Hounds of Basalt Ville November 2013. First as ebooks, and later in
print, these are available through outlets such as Amazon or direct:
www.burstbooks.ca
Updates on Ron and writing: www.ronaldhore.com and www.facebook.com/RonaldJHore.

Axel HowertonAxel Howerton is the author of the
quirky neo-noir detective novel Hot Sinatra, the mini-anthology
Living Dead at Zigfreidt & Roy, and a bevy of short stories and
hidden gems. His work has recently appeared in Big Pulp, Fires on
the Plain, Steampunk Originals, A Career Guide To Your Job In Hell,
Lebowski 101, Clones, Fairies & Monsters in the Closet and the
holiday anthology Let It Snow: Season’s Readings For A Super-Cool
Yule. Axel is is a member of the Crime Writers of Canada and the
co-creator of the annual Coffin Hop author extravaganza. He lives in
the untamed prairies with his two brilliant young sons and a wife who
is way out of his league.http://about.me/axelhowerton

Jessica L. JacksonJessica L. Jackson, a proud
member of the Alberta Romance Writers’ Association, has lived in
Southern Alberta since 1997. She’s began writing romances in her
twenties when her three children were young. Within the last year she
has e-published two novellas with Ellora’s Cave in their Blush line
and is under contract for a three-book series of
paranormal/contemporary. The first of these, Come Closer has a
release date of September 5th, 2013. Encouraged by one of the WWC 2012
sessions on self-publishing, Jessica has also self-published two
time/historical novels through Amazon.com as e-books. Another book in
the series will be released this summer. Her website is:
jessicaleolajackson.com.

Cameron D JamesWhen Cameron D James isn’t writing
gay erotic romance, he can be found studying for his Masters, working
in his dull office job, or reading five books at once. But, really,
you’re most likely to find him writing. He loves crafting hot, sexy,
sweaty, throbbing scenes, interwoven with lust and deep emotions for
an orgasmic whole. He writes out of a love of characters, wherever
those characters may lead.

Calvin D. JimCalvin D. Jim is an Asian-Canadian writer
and editor of Asian speculative fiction. He is a Prix Aurora Award
nominated co-editor of Shanghai Steam, the steampunk-wuxia
anthology and his other works have appeared in Rigor Amortis,
The Tomorrow Anthology and Crossed Genre Quarterly. He
lives in Calgary with his wife and two children, no pets and no garden
gnomes.

Paula JohansonPaula Johanson is a long-time member
of SF Canada, the association of Canadian science fiction and
fantasy professionals, and of the Canadian Children's Science Book
Writers. While completing a Master's degree in Canadian Literature,
Paula was pleased to co-edit Opus 6, an Okal Rel
anthology, and kayak down the Red Deer river. Her newest book from
Rosen Publishing will be launched at When Words Collide:
Money-Making Opportunities For Teens Who Like Pets And Animals.

Matthew JohnsonMatthew Johnson's stories have
appeared in places like Asimov's Science Fiction, The Magazine of
Science Fiction and Strange Horizons as well as numerous year's best
anthologies. His first novel, Fall From Earth, was published by
Bundoran Press in 2009 and Irregular Verbs, a collection of his short
fiction, will be out from ChiZine Press in early 2014. When he's not
writing he works as Director of Education for MediaSmarts, an
internationally recognized media education organization, where he
writes blogs and comics, designs computer games and does pirate voices
in both English and French.

Sarah KadesSarah Kades loves writing romance,
travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. She has called the United
States, Scotland and Canada home, and was an archaeologist for over a
decade (and has been unable to shake her fascination with helicopters
since). It is great writing inspiration, though, so she’s not too
worried. She loves writing stories that entertain and inspire people
in the magic and power of love, each one of us, and the natural
world. She has two titles out, Claiming Love and the short
story Duke Out at the Diner. 403 Verboten and Kiss Me
in the Rain are releasing this year. When she is not writing or
giving writing workshops, she is playing, usually outside, with her
family or planning their next adventure. Visit her at sarahkades.com.

Adrienne KerrAdrienne Kerr is the Commissioning
Editor of Commercial Fiction at Penguin Group (Canada) where she
acquires mystery, suspense, sci-fi, fantasy, adventure, women's and
historical novels. She works with bestselling authors Stuart McLean,
Jack Whyte, Robert J. Sawyer, Suzanne Desrochers, and D.J. McIntosh,
as well as Pauline Gedge, Sophie Hannah, and Keith Ross Leckie. She
is the Canadian Booksellers' Association Editor of the Year (2011)
and was the Canadian Booksellers' Association Sales Representative of
the Year (2009). She has also worked as a book buyer for a large North
American retailer, and as an independent bookseller. She lives in Toronto.

Tony KingTony King is a Calgary writer and broadcaster.

Aaron KiteAaron Kite is a writer/artist who likes
putting slashes between occupations, and who very rarely refers to
himself in the third person. He was one of the founding members of the
amateur writing group Starting Write Now, as well as countless
side-projects which he'd mention by name if the government would
finally get around to granting him immunity.

He has three finished novels presently, the first of which is
scheduled for release in the latter half of 2013. Recently, his novel
A Touch of Poison won the 2012 Watty Award for Most Popular Fantasy,
and has received over 2.7 million reads in the past 14 months. Aaron
currently resides in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Stacey KondlaStacey Kondla is a life-long book nerd
and averages reading 10 -15 books per month in her spare time. She was
fortunate to have spent 10 years working for Scholastic Book Fairs to
promote the love of reading in children and young adults and is an
active member of When Words Collide's organizing committee. Stacey
also is a member of Bookcrossing and promotes the
love of reading to the public at large by releasing books into the
wild to find new readers.

Linda KupecekLinda Kupecek writes mystery,
non-fiction, humour and lifestyle, sometimes all in the same book. Her
debut mystery novel, Deadly Dues (TouchWood Editions 2010) is the
first in the lighthearted Lulu Malone series. She has also worked as a
screenwriter, television writer and host, magazine columnist,
playwright, actor (“McCabe and Mrs. Miller”, among many other films)
and was a senior correspondent for The Hollywood Reporter. Some people
still recognize her voice from her days on CBC Radio, which sort of
shocks her. She is a brilliant procrastinator and demented
collector/hoarder, and blogs about all of the above at www.lindakupecek.com.

Dave LaderouteDave Laderoute has been writing
off-and-on since 1990, and has had several short stories appear in
various small press publications. Most notably, he took second place
in a science fiction writing contest sponsored by the Association of
Computing Machinery, a consortium of major companies including
Microsoft, Intel, Hewlett Packard, Apple and others. Dave has also
written extensively for role-playing games, particularly The Legend
of the Five Rings product line. Out of Time, coming in late
2013 from Five Rivers, is Dave's first novel-length publication. With
another novel manuscript under serious consideration by a major
publisher, though, and two more on the go, he doesn't intend it to be
his last!

Adria LaycraftAdria Laycraft is a grateful member
of IFWA and a proud survivor of the Odyssey Writers Workshop. She
co-edited Urban Green Man, launching in August of 2013. Look for her
stories in Tesseracts 16, Neo-opsis, On-Spec, James Gunn's Ad Astra,
Hypersonic Tales, DKA Magazine, and In Places Between. Author of Be a
Freelance Writer Now, Adria lives in Calgary with her husband and son.

Halli LilburnBorn in Edmonton, AB, Halli Dee
Lilburn teaches art journaling at local schools and through
educational programs. She writes poetry, creative non-fiction and
Young Adult fiction. She has work published in Canada's History,
Canadian Stories, Poetry quarterly and other literary journals. Her
novel SHIFTERS is published through Imajin Books.
She now resides in southern Alberta with her husband and three
children and works at the local library. She is a gardener, artist,
photographer, seamstress, genealogist, and singer. She can pick up
spiders, handle the sight of blood, subdue aggressive dogs, make a
mean grilled cheese, and keep her sanity. Most of the time.
She can be found at: hallililburn.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/hlilburn
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4878963twitter@hallilburn

Nicole LuikenNicole Luiken wrote her first book at
age thirteen and was published while still in high school. She is the
author of two fantasy romance novels and nine YA novels, including the
popular Violet Eyes series. Her books have won the Moonbeam
and the Golden Eagle Book Award. She lives in Edmonton with her
family. It is impossible for her to go more than three days in a row
without writing.www.nicoleluiken.com.

Janice MacDonaldJanice MacDonald has written a
college textbook, non-fiction and stories for both children and
adults. Her Randy Craig Mysteries was the first series set in
Edmonton. A lifelong fan and reviewer of detective fiction, she even
wrote her master's thesis on the subject. She is also keen on history;
her first book was The Northwest Fort and her latest mystery
Condemned to Repeat, features, among other sites, Fort Edmonton
Park. She was lured away from an MFA in playwriting by the chance to
write and produce radio, and has had work appear on CKUA, CBC, and
ACCESSTV. She also wrote the music and lyrics for two touring
musicals. Wasting nothing, her novel-in-progress involves the Edmonton
theatre scene. Her full biography and bibliography is available online
at janicemacdonald.net.

Susan MacGregorSusan MacGregor has been a fiction
editor with On Spec Magazine for over twenty years. She has also
edited anthologies Divine Realms (Ravenstone Books/Turnstone Press)
and Tesseracts Fifteen: A Case of Quite Curious Tales (Edge
Publishing). Her first novel, The Tattooed Witch (an historical
fantasy/paranormal romance hybrid), will be released this fall by
Five Rivers Publishing, followed by two subsequent books in the
trilogy, The Tattooed Seer and The Tattooed Rose. Currently, she
is re-releasing portions of her non-fiction book The ABC's of How NOT
to Write Speculative Fiction" on her blog, suzenyms. You can find her
online at: suzenyms.blogspot.ca.

Tereasa MaillieTereasa Maillie is a researcher and
writer living in Calgary. Her previous plays include Crystal
Ball, performed at the Calgary Fringe Festival, and Emma,
which was awarded the CAT AWARDS for Outstanding Original Script or
Adaptation 2012. Currently she is working on a one-act
historical/western Gothic play set in the 1870s Canadian west.

Clare C. MarshallClare C. Marshall grew up in rural
Nova Scotia with very little television and dial-up internet, and yet,
she turned out okay. She has a combined honours degree in journalism
and psychology from the University of King’s College, and is a
graduate from Humber College’s Creative Book Publishing Program. She
is a full-time freelance editor, book designer, and web manager. She
enjoys publishing books through her publishing imprint, Faery Ink
Press. When she’s not writing, she enjoys playing the fiddle and
making silly noises at cats. Website:
http://faeryinkpress.com.

Ann MarstonAnn Marston is a fiction editor for On
Spec. She has worked as a teacher, a flight instructor, an airline
pilot, airport manager and a literacy coordinator. Ann writes fantasy
because everyone knows pilots don't live in the real world anyway. She
is the author of The Rune Blade trilogy (Kingmaker's Sword,
Western King and Broken Blade) and the Sword in Exile trilogy
(Cloudbearer's Shadow, King of Shadows and Sword & Shadow) which are
being reissued by Five Rivers Chapmanry, the first two being available
as e-books as well. SHe has had short stories appear in Return of the
Dinasaurs, Zodiac Fantastic, Cat Tales and On Spec Magazine.

Micheline MaylorMicheline Maylor moved from
Windsor, Ontario to Calgary, Alberta in 1975 and lives in a little
house beside the Bow River with her family. She has been the recipient
of the Overseas Research Scholarship, the International Research
Scholarship and grants from the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. She
has published poetry in over 50 journals in five countries. A
certified poetry fanatic, she teaches creative writing at Mount Royal
University, the Alexandra Writers' Centre Society, and edits FreeFall
Literary Magazine.

Randy McCharlesRandy McCharles is active in
Calgary, Alberta's writing community with a focus on speculative
fiction, usually of the dark and humorous variety. In 2009 he received
Canada's most prestigious award for speculative fiction, the
Prix-Aurora Award, for the novella Ringing in the Changes in
Okotoks, Alberta which appeared in Tesseracts 12 (Edge
Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing) and was also reprinted in
Year's Best Fantasy 9 (David Hartwell and Kathryn Kramer,
ed). Additional short stories and novellas are available in various
publications from Edge Press, including 2 books being launched this
weekend: The Puzzle Box and Urban Green Man. www.RandyMcCharles.com.

Jodi McIsaacJodi McIsaac is the author of the
bestselling novel Through the Door, the first in a new urban
fantasy series inspired by Celtic mythology. She successfully
self-published Through the Door before the series was picked up
by a traditional publishing house...if you can call Amazon
Publishing's 47North imprint traditional. The second book in
the series comes out in December and she is frantically writing the
third while juggling her two children and a boutique copywriting
agency.

Danni MenardDanni is a yet unpublished writer who
has been participating in NaNoWriMo since November 2010. With large
word counts and numerous ideas keeping her going since then, she is
working ever closer to her goal of being published. She currently
resides in her hometown of Calgary, Alberta, and tends to write more
toward the science fiction and fantasy genres, though has been known
to dabble in almost anything.

Danielle Metcalfe-ChenailDanielle Metcalfe-Chenail
is passionate about the craft and business of writing. A historian by
training (MA, UBC), she is the author of For the Love of Flying and
is currently working on Polar Winds: A Century of Flying the
North as well as a historical novel, Chasing Skies. Currently
based in Edmonton, she has been writer in residence at Berton House in
Dawson City, Yukon and was named Chatelaine's Maverick of the Year in
2011. Please follow her on Twitter @danicanuck and check out her
website www.daniellemc.com.

Billie MilhollandBillie Milholland writes fiction &
non-fiction, makes mixed media visual art, farms her back yard and is
addicted to information. Recent publications include a novella in
Aurora Award winning Women of the Apocalypse, a novella in The
Puzzle Box and a novella in the 4th Circle of the 10th Circle
Project; short fiction in the 10th Circle Project, Ride the Moon and
the Urban Green Man.

Joanne MorcomJoanne Morcom is a founding member of
the Magpie Haiku & Tanka Poets, who have published two anthologies,
A Piece of Eggshell and Weathered Wings. Her own poetry
collections, A Nameless Place (Sam's Dot Publishing) and
About the Blue Moon (Inkling press) are available from the
author. Look for these books in the When Words Collide Merchants
Corner. Her haiku, tanka and haibun appears in various electronic and
print publications.

Joanne's a native Calgarian, a social worker, a laughter yoga
leader and a collector of quotations, like this one from Ray Bradbury
(one of her favourite writers): "The important thing is to be in love
with something."

Ginger MullenGinger Mullen's interest in folk and
fairy tales led her to pursue a Master's degree in Children's
Literature, focusing her studies on the Scottish ballad of "Tam Lin."
She has presented at several post-secondary institutions and
conferences, including one in England last year that celebrated the
bi-centennial of the Grimm Brothers' seminal publication, Children's
and Household Tales. Currently, she teaches at Mount Royal University,
works as a professional storyteller and facilitates a variety of early
childhood programs for community organizations.

Nina MunteanuNina Munteanu is an ecologist and
internationally published novelist and short story author of science
fiction and fantasy. She is currently editor of SF Europa, a zine
dedicated to informing the European SF community.

Nina's guide for writers called "The Fiction Writer: Get Published,
Write Now!" by Starfire World Syndicate was adopted by several
colleges and universities throughout North America and Europe. It was
recently published by Editura Paralela 45 in Romania. The next book in
her writing guide series "The Journal Writer: Finding Your Voice" will
be released in early 2013.

For more information about booking her workshops, consultations, or
speaking appearances visit www.NinaMunteanu.com.

Terry NicholaichukTerry Nicholaichuk received his
Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Saskatchewan in
1987. He has worked as a psychologist, researcher, program director
and regional and national administrator in Federal Corrections. He
also has specialised training and experience in the diagnosis of
learning disorders. He is an Adjunct Professor at the University of
Saskatchewan. He was, until recently, the Director of Research at the
Regional Psychiatric Centre in Saskatoon. His publications and
research interests are in the areas of sex offender assessment, sex
offender treatment outcome and dynamic predictors of risk.

Rosemary NixonRosemary Nixon is a pre-eminent short
story writer, novelist, and free-lance editor. Her collection,
Mostly Country, a Nunatak Fiction imprint: especially selected
works of outstanding fiction by new western writers, was
shortlisted for the Howard O'Hagan Award. The Cock's Egg won the
Howard O'Hagan. Her novel, Kalila was longlisted for the ReLit Award
and shortlisted for the George Bugnet Award. Her latest, Are You
Ready To Be Lucky? will be released in fall of 2013.

Rosemary won Grain Magazine's Postcard Competition, has been
awarded a Fellowship to write at Scotland's Hawthornden Castle, and
invited as Canadian Guest Writer to Portugal's DISQUIET International
Literary Festival. She has taught creative writing for over twenty
years, including Writing With Style at the Banff Center, Sage Hill
Writing Experience in Saskatchewan, and Writing Away in Greece. She
has judged numerous literary competitions, including the Grant MacEwan
Award, the Brenda Strathern Award, the CBC Literary Competition, and
the Writers Union of Canada Short Fiction Competition. Rosemary has
served as Writer-in-Residence for the Markin-Flanagan Distinguished
Writers Programme, for the University of Windsor, Ontario, for the
Canadian Authors Association, and most recently as Writer-in-Residence
at the Banff Centre for the Arts.

Jason Lee NormanJason Lee Norman is a writer with a
beard from Edmonton. He received his MA in Creative Writing from the
University of Manchester. He is the author of two story collections:
Americas and Beautiful Girls & Famous Men. He is also the
creator/editor of a writing anthology entitled 40 Below which is a
collection of writing about or inspired by winter in Edmonton. The
book will be published this winter under Jason's new publishing
imprint Wufniks Press.

Alyssa Linn PalmerAlyssa Linn Palmer is a Canadian
writer and freelance editor. She splits her time between a full-time
day job, and her part-time loves, writing and editing. Her novella
PROHIBITED PASSION and short story BETTING THE FARM are available as
ebooks. Her short story VEE is a part of the charity anthology FELT
TIPS, and its sequel is in the anthology ANYTHING SHE WANTS. She's
currently working on several new projects. She loves to hear from
readers, and you can find her online at www.alyssalinnpalmer.com or
on Twitter @alyslinn.

Lorraine PatonLorraine Paton's debut contemporary
romance novel, Devin's Second Chance, was released in June 2013 and
the next book in her Morning Lake series, Annie's Christmas Plan, will
be available this fall. Lorraine lives with her husband in Alberta,
which is also the setting for her novels. When she is not refereeing
fights between her two cats or having fun on social media, Lorraine
can be found working on several other happily-ever-after books. You
can visit her on her blog at www.lorrainepaton.com.

Justyn PerryJustyn Perry is the owner and publisher
of Breathless Press and Lycaon Press. Breathless Press started in 2009
as an eBook publisher producing quality Romance and Erotic
stories. Lycaon Press started in the summer of 2012 with the idea that
young readers are growing and needing something nice and dark to read
(to stay out of trouble of course!). Justyn has been creating cover
art and digital art for many years. His covers appear on many
Breathless Press titles as well as titles among other eBook
publishers. Breathless Press has recently grown from releasing 2
ebooks a week to 3 ebooks a week. Lycaon Press currently releases one
ebook a week.http://www.breathlesspress.com/http://www.lycaonpress.com/

Celeste A. PetersCeleste A. Peters is a
Calgary-based author of fiction and non-fiction whose short story
Without Blemish is included in Edge Science Fiction and
Fantasy’s Urban Green Man anthology, which is launching at the WWC
convention. She is also a professional website designer and has run
Elegant Edge Website Design for the past eight years. With this hat
on, she will be offering the session Author Websites 101 for
fellow authors who are thinking of staking out real estate in
cyberspace to set up their own site but need some practical advice
regarding how to jump in and make it happen.

Sherry PetersSherry Peters lives in Winnipeg, where
she spends her days working at St John's College at the University of
Manitoba, and her evenings and weekends writing. Sherry graduated from
the Odyssey Writing Workshop in 2005 and earned her M.A. in Writing
Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University in 2009. She credits the
year she spent in Northern Ireland as one of the best years of her
life and a daily inspiration and motivation in her writing. Her book
Silencing Your Inner Saboteur is available at all major online
e-book retailers, through her website, sherrypeters.wordpress.com,
and at the IFWA table at When Words Collide.

Ursula PflugUrsula Pflug is author of the novel
Green Music (Edge/Tesseract) and the story collection After
the Fires (Tightrope). 2013 will see publication of her new novel
The Alphabet Stones, (Blue Denim) and a story collection,
Harvesting the Moon (PS Publishing). In 2014 her anthology
They Have To Take You In (Hidden Brook) will appear, as well as
a flash novel, Motion Sickness (Inanna), illustrated by Kismet
Dyment. Pflug is also an editor, book reviewer, playwright and
creative writing instructor at Loyalist College.ursulapflug.ca

Mike PlestedMichell (Mike) Plested is an author,
editor, blogger and podcaster living in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. He
writes in multiple genres, especially Science Fiction, Fantasy and YA
Adventure. He is the host of several podcasts including Get
Published, (2009 and 2011 Parsec Finalist), the SciFi/Comedy
GalaxyBillies (Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy meets Beverley
Hillbillies) and Boyscouts of the Apocalypse (Zombie horror
meets boyscouts), a part of the Action Pack Podcast.

His debut novel, Mik Murdoch, Boy Superhero was published
August 1, 2012 and is on the Prix Aurora ballet for Best YA Novel. His
anthology, A Method to the Madness: A Guide to the Super Evil
was released April, 2013.

Marie PowellMarie Powell (http://mepowell.com/) is a
professional writer based in Regina, Saskatchewan. Scholastic Canada
published her children’s book Dragonflies are Amazing and Red Line
will publish her six-book beginning-reader series this fall. Her
award-winning short stories and poems appear in such literary
magazines as subTerrain, Room, and Transition. She holds a Master of
Fine Arts (MFA) degree in Creative Writing from the University of
British Columbia (UBC), among other degrees, and her articles appear
in more than 70 markets across Canada and internationally. Her writing
workshops are popular across Saskatchewan, and have led to a monthly
freewriting club in Regina.

Jennifer RahnJennifer Rahn is a Calgary-based
author of two novels, The Longevity Thesis and Wicked
Initiations, as well as short stories in anthologies such as Blood
& Water, Shanghai Steam, and A Method to the Madness: A Guide to the
Super Evil. More information can be seen at longevitythesis.ca

Gary RenshawGary Renshaw appeared in The Great
Sperm Race as a stunt sperm and currently works at the medical
school playing with the brains of students. His short story
Vacation appears in On Spec's Spring 2013 issue. He's completed
his first novel, a chick-lit urban fantasy, that is the beginning of a
series. Gary is a long-time member of the Imaginative Fiction Writers
Association and has a — whimsical — sense of humour. He
shares something wonderful with the actresses Daniela Ruah and Jane
Seymour.

Tim ReynoldsTim Reynolds is a Canadian twistorian,
bending and twisting history into fictional shapes for sheer
entertainment.
His recently published stories range from lighthearted fantasy to
turn-on-the-damned-lights-now horror, and include the story of a bus
driver who kills all his passengers, Evil fashion advice, a tale of a
dying folk singer's moments teaching Death a love song, and a dark,
depressing view of the near-future of reality TV and child-rearing.
His 100-word story Temper Temperwas a winner of Kobo
Writing Life's Jeffrey Archer Short Story Challenge, and his short story Why Pete? will
appear in Tesseracts 17 this fall. He can be found online
at www.tgmreynolds.com and
www.TheTaoOfTim.com.

Candice RobinsonCandice Robinson has been writing in various forms since she was five
but really got serious about it when discovering National Novel
Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in 2004. 2013 will be her fourth year as a
Municipal Liaison (regional organizer) in Calgary and she has reached
50,000 words seven times (in 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012).
She writes a little of everything, but mostly dabbles in fantasy and
science fiction during NaNoWriMo.

Trevor RuegerTrevor has been working as an actor,
writer, director and dramaturg in Calgary for over 25 years. In 2011
he received the Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding Performance by an
Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance as Billy Bibbit in
Theatre Calgary's production of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest. He
has been seen at Theatre Calgary, Manitoba Theatre Centre, Vertigo
Theatre, Lunchbox Theatre, Stage West and The Citadel Theatre. He has
directed at Vertigo, Lunchbox, Ground Zero/Pot of Jam Productions and
for Shadow Productions. Trevor has three TYA shows to his credit and
is currently working on a play and a film. He is an ensemble member of
Dirty Laundry - Calgary's Only Completely Live, Completely Improvised
soap opera and is the Executive Director of Alberta Playwrights’
Network.

Robert RuntéDr. Robert Runté is an
associate professor at the University of Lethbridge and an acquisition
editor with Five Rivers Publications. Previously, he was on the
editorial boards of On Spec Magazine and Tesseract Books; and in 1996
he co-edited (with Yves Meyard) the Tesseracts5 SF anthology. In
1989, his Guide to Canadian Science Fiction won an Aurora Award; he
won a second Aurora in 1990.

Caroline Russell-KingAs a professional playwright,
Caroline is best known for her comedies. Currently she is working on
a trilogy of plays entitled Pallise Suite. The first play, Mr. Fix
It, was produced at Lunchbox Theatre and garnered a Betty Mitchell
nomination for outstanding script. The next, Second Chance, First
Love was produced in this years’ theatre season and garnered a
Calgary Theatre Critics nomination for best new script. The last in
the trilogy Funeral Fore! will be published this fall by
Frontenac House Press. Caroline has been produced in theatres across
Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Ontario. As well as having her
plays published she has been included in five anthologies. She is the
representative for southern Alberta for the Playwrights Guild of
Canada. As a professional dramaturg she is a member of the Literary
Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas. Check her out at www.carolinerussellking.com

Garry RyanIn 2004, Ryan’s first Detective Lane
novel, Queen’s Park was published. The second, The Lucky
Elephant Restaurant, won a 2007 Lambda Literary Award. A
Hummingbird Dance, Smoked, and Malabarista
followed. In 2009, Ryan was awarded Calgary’s Freedom of Expression
Award. Blackbirds (historical fiction) was published in 2012.
Foxed (sixth in the Detective Lane series) will be published in
the fall of 2013.

Christoph SimonChristoph Simon is an associate
professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University
of Calgary. His research aims both to deepen our understanding of
quantum physics and to find ways to use quantum effects for new
applications.

Jefferson SmithJefferson Smith is a Canadian
fantasy novelist, the first child born on a secret Canadian lunar
colony in the early 1960s. (It remains secret to this day, so as not
to embarrass Mr. Armstrong and the American people). After emigrating
to Earth in the late 1980s, he worked in the Hollywood animation and
special effects world for a number of years, and has a PhD in computer
science, specializing in the intersection between software tools,
creativity theory and writing. His first novel, Strange Places,
has been short-listed for a number of awards, and its sequel, Oath
Keeper, will be released later this year. In addition to his
fiction, Jefferson maintains a blog about software, creativity and
writing theory, which you can find at creativityhacker.ca.

Nola SarinaNola Sarina is the author of The Vesper
Series and co-author of the blog New Stories, Old Book featuring
articles, interviews and posts on all things Biblical FanFiction.

Nola lives in Southern Alberta, Canada with her husband and three
children. Born in Minnesota and raised to appreciate reading and
writing of all types from an early age, she found her favorite titles
within the genres of Dark Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror.

Inspired by the lessons of her Catholic upbringing, Nola drew upon
her fascination with sin and penance to fathom new creatures of
nightmares to devour the human race: Vespers, demons cursed by the
serpent guardian of the apple tree in the story of Original Sin. The
characters of Boundless Obsidian will make readers question what sins
are worth dying for and which beliefs must be challenged to carve a
new path in life.

Robert J. SawyerRobert J. Sawyer is the author of
Hugo Award-winner Hominids, Nebula Award-winner The Terminal
Experiment, and John W. Campbell Memorial Award-winner
Mindscan, plus Starplex, Frameshift, Factoring
Humanity, Calculating God, Humans, Rollback,
and Wake, all of which were Hugo finalists. Other awards:
China’s Galaxy Award for “Most Popular Foreign SF Writer;” three
Japanese Seiun Awards for Best Foreign Novel (for End of an
Era, Frameshift, and Illegal Alien); eleven Canadian
Aurora Awards; plus Analog’s Analytical Laboratory Award,
Science Fiction Chronicle’s Reader Award, and the Crime
Writers of Canada’s Arthur Ellis Award, all for best short-story
of the year. His latest novel is Red Planet Blues. Website: sfwriter.com.

Joe SlabeJoe Slabe is a Calgary-based writer,
composer and musical director with a Masters Degree in musical theatre
composition from the University of London. Joe recently returned from
New York, where he presented his latest musical Crossing Swords
as part of the 2013 New York Musical Theatre Festival. Joe’s other
recent works include Austentatious, (recently published by
Playscripts Inc.), Maria Rasputin Presents, and If I Weren’t
With You, (Calgary Critics’ Awards nomination for Best Production
of a Musical). Joe is also an award-winning musical director who has
garnered six Betty Mitchell Award nominations for his work and won
twice. Joe is the founding artistic director of Forte Musical Theatre
Guild and received the 2004 Greg Bond Award for outstanding
contributions to musical theatre in Calgary.

Sharon SmuldersSharon Smulders teaches courses in
children's literature and nineteenth-century writing at Mount Royal
University. She has published articles on the work of Elizabeth
Barrett Browning, Gerard Manley Hopkins, Alice Meynell, Beatrice
(Culleton) Mosionier, Christina Rossetti, Dante Gabriel Rossetti,
Robert Service, Ann and Jane Taylor, and Laura Ingalls Wilder. Her
essay, “'We Are All One': Money, Magic, and Mysticism in Mary
Poppins,” will appear in the collection Historical Materialist
Readings of Children's Literature, ed. Angela Hubler, later this
year.

DK SnapeI grew up in a small town just north of
Toronto. I always had a vivid imagination. Ask my mother. It’s not
that I don’t like to tell the truth. But isn’t the world a brighter
place when fairies and aliens populate the local neighbourhood? Being
an intelligent, non-girlie girl, I didn’t fit in well with my
peers. Instead I found books! I read everything I got my hands on. And
I mean everything. I contracted some ugly balance-affecting disease at
twelve. Stuck in bed for months, my family and neighbours rallied,
bringing me books of all kinds once I finished the encyclopedia and
dictionary, cover to cover. They just wanted me happy. And quiet. But
boredom struck. You can’t just read all the time, I tried copying some
of my favourite stories, embellishing them as I saw fit. And one day,
I wrote one of my own, all by myself. Personally thought I’d done a
good job. When it didn’t receive rave reviews from my family, I
decided to try harder, not give up and leave it to the experts like my
parents wanted. We moved to Alberta in 75. I took a long hiatus from
writing stories as my kids grew up. Not from making them up or telling
them. Just from writing them down. Once they grew enough, I returned
to writing. I’m happy with my progress.

I’m finally ready for the world to decide.

Jennifer SnowJennifer Snow is a writer of
contemporary romance fiction. Her published works include Mistletoe
Fever and Mistletoe and Molly, published through The Wild Rose Press,
and Mistletoe Bachelors, published through Secret Cravings
Publishing. Releasing later this year is a new contemporary series
through Harlequin Heartwarming. She lives in Edmonton, Alberta with
her husband and son.
www.jennifersnowbooks.com

Kay StewartKay Stewart is the author of police
procedurals featuring RCMP Constable Danutia Dranchuk. Unholy Rites,
written with husband Chris Bullock and released in March, is the third
in the series. Kay has also published short stories, personal essays,
and writing textbooks. She taught at the University of Alberta before
moving to Vancouver Island to devote her time to writing. She is
active in the crime-writing community, having served as National Vice
President and President of Crime Writers of Canada and co-chair of
Bloody Words 2011.

Amanda SunAmanda Sun is the author of The Paper
Gods, a YA Paranormal series set in Japan. The first book,
INK, is a USA Today Top 10 YA Summer choice, an Indigo Top Teen
Pick of 2013, a Junior Library Guild selection and a Summer 2013 Indie
Kids' Next List selection. She has also been published in the
Aurora-nominated Tesseracts Fifteen by EDGE Fiction and in
Playthings of the Gods by Drollerie Press. She currently lives
in Toronto, where she keeps busy knitting, gaming, and making
elaborate cosplays. Visit her on the web at www.AmandaSunBooks.com and
on Twitter at @Amanda_Sun.

Det. SweetDet. Sweet became a member of the Calgary
Police Service in 1998 after graduating from the Mount Royal College
Criminology program. He has worked in general patrol, general
investigations, the Drug Unit and in the Organized Crime Section. Det
Sweet brings to his presentation his extensive experience with
suspicious death investigations in the Homicide Unit. He'll leave you
spell bound as he reveals how dead men do talk.

Patrick SwensonPatrick Swenson's first novel THE
ULTRA THIN MAN is forthcoming from Tor in 2014. He edited Talebones
magazine for 14 years, and still runs Fairwood Press, a book line,
which began in 2000. A graduate of Clarion West, he has sold stories
to the anthology Like Water for Quarks, and magazines such as Marion
Zimmer Bradley’s Fantasy Magazine, Figment, and others. He runs the
Rainforest Writers Village retreat every spring at Lake Quinault,
Washington. Patrick is a high school teacher and lives in Bonney Lake,
Washington with his eleven-year-old son Orion.

Hayden TrenholmHayden Trenholm (www.haydentrenholm.com) is a
Parliamentary policy analyst and an award-winning playwright and
author. He has twice won the Aurora Award for short fiction and been
nominated for Best Novel three times. His novel, Stealing Home
was shortlisted for the Sunburst Award. He lives with his wife,
Elizabeth, in Ottawa.

Diane WaltonDiane Walton has served as Managing
Editor of On Spec since Jena Snyder passed along the torch. Diane also
serves as a Fiction editor, something she's done since the magazine's
birth in 1989. As a published writer, Diane's had stories in On Spec,
Northern Frights, and Divine Realms.
Diane and On Spec are also part of the team that runs Edmonton's Pure
Speculation Festival. She lives near Alberta Beach, AB. with the
lovely Rick LeBlanc, two cats and four very hardy goldfish. One day,
she may actually do some writing again.

Dr. Renae WatchmanRenae Watchman is Navajo,
originally from Shiprock, New Mexico. She completed her PhD in the
Dept. of German Studies, jointly with the Graduate Program in
Humanities from Stanford University in 2007. She currently teaches
literature and film courses in the Department of English at Mount
Royal University. Dr. Watchman specializes in North American
Indigenous Literatures and her transdisciplinary research interests
include: North American Indigenous Literatures, Indigenous Feminisms,
Comparative Literature, Orality, (Post-/neo-) colonialism &
decolonizing literature, Globalization of powwows and Film Studies
(Contemporary, Global, and Indigenous). When she is not working,
Dr. Watchman enjoys spending time with family and friends, hiking,
hanging out in coffee shops, watching movies, and traveling..

Catherine WelburnCassy Welburn is a poet and
storyteller who has travelled across Canada sharing stories and
poetry, recently touring Ontario with the Canadian Children's Book
Centre and Storytellers of Canada. She has published extensively in
Canadian literary journals, anthologies an on CBC radio. She is
recorded on TALES ON THE WIND, CALL YOUR NEIGHBOURS IN, an TALES FROM
THE NIGHT TREE.

Sandra WickhamSandra Wickham lives in Vancouver,
Canada with her husband and two cats. Her friends call her a
needle crafting aficionado, health guru and
ninja-in-training. Sandra's short stories have appeared in
Evolve, Vampires of the New Undead, Evolve, Vampires of the
Future Undead, Chronicles of the Order, Crossed Genres magazine,
LocoThology: Tales of Fantasy & Science Fiction and The Urban
Green Man. She blogs about writing with the Inkpunks, is the
Fitness Nerd columnist for the Functional Nerds and slush reads
for Lightspeed Magazine.

Edward WillettEdward Willett is the award-winning
author of more than 40 books of fiction and non-fiction. Born in
Texas, he’s lived in Saskatchewan since he was eight years old. He
began his career as a newspaper reporter and editor and then worked as
communications officer for the Saskatchewan Science Centre before
becoming a fulltime freelancer 20 years ago. Among his novels: the
Aurora Award-winning science fiction novel Marseguro (DAW
Books); the Saskatchewan Book Award-winning YA fantasy Spirit
Singer, just re-released by Edmonton’s Tyche Books; and epic
steampunkish fantasy Magebane (DAW), written as Lee Arthur
Chane. His latest science fiction novel, Right to Know, is
being launched at When Words Collide by Bundoran Press. This November
will see the launch of a new fantasy trilogy for DAW with the release
of Masks, written as E.C. Blake. His nonfiction runs the gamut
from computer books to science books to histories and biographies. Two
plays he wrote are also being produced this year. Ed, who is also a
professional actor and singer, lives in Regina with his wife and
daughter.www.edwardwillett.com.

Lynda WilliamsLynda Williams is the author of the
ten-novel Okal Rel Saga and integrity editor of the growing,
associated universe of creative interpretions and extensions of the
series' setting through short stories, novellas, art and
media. Lynda's novel Part 7: Healer's Sword and three other Okal Rel
contributors (2 artists, 1 blogger) are in the running for the 2012
Aurora Awards. See http://okalrel.org/vote-for-aurora-award-okal-rel-recommends
to vote for us. Drop in to http://facebook.com/relskim to
see what's up. Lynda holds two post graduate degress, manages an
e-learning team at SFU and teaches parttime for BCIT in introductory
web development.

Edward WilsonEd decided to be an engineer 50 years ago,
and he's still at it. He got involved in Writing 44 years ago, and he's
looking to sell now. 9 years ago he got into an online brouhaha and he's
designing a super volcano just for you.